Europe will not be able to progress without the help of the countries of the southern Mediterranean, including Morocco. This is the solution to maintain its status in the world of tomorrow, said Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
In an interview granted to the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, the Secretary General of the UfM, Nasser Kamel, highlighted the various socio-economic advantages that Europe can enjoy by maintaining a good relationship with the countries of the South.
” I can give you dozens of examples of how Europe can benefit from deeper integration with the South. One example is renewable energy. The South is capable of producing twice the current electricity consumption in Europe from wind and solar energy“, indicates Kamel.
According to the official, if Europe wants to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050, the great potential of southern Mediterranean countries should be explored. It will create wealth on both sides and have a huge impact on immigration, he said.
To support his remarks, he recalls that “ Morocco produces 700,000 vehicles per year for the European market. Airbus and Boeing manufacture many components of their aircraft in Tunisia and Morocco. Samsung’s largest factory outside of Korea is in Egypt“. In this sense, it argues that Europe will not be able to progress without the help of these countries.
As for the management of migration, Nasser Kamel affirmed that it is true that in many countries of the North the fight against irregular immigration is a priority, but even the conservative governments that have come to power with the promise of controlling it understand that security is not the solution.
” They know that it is impossible to solve the problem without intelligent investment in human and sustainable development. Until we create the socio-economic conditions necessary to provide a better future for young people in the Global South, all the investment in patrols and barriers, in turning Europe into a fortress, will not be enough“, he argued. For the Secretary General of the UfM, the South has great demographic potential and Europe should take advantage of it.